South African learners are in for more inclusive and representative learning materials designed to reflect and support their stories!
Cape Town, South Africa (07 October 2025) – We all know school can feel a bit out of touch sometimes. The books don’t always look like the kids in the classroom, and that matters more than people realise. Oxford University Press South Africa has stepped up with a brand-new Foundation Phase series that finally makes every child feel seen, and even better, they’ve gone the extra mile by creating a Braille edition too.
This didn’t just come out of nowhere.
Back in 2016, the Department of Basic Education asked publishers to cut the bias and create materials that bring kids together instead of boxing them in. Oxford took that to heart.
“In the early years of learning, what children read and see shape how they understand themselves and the world,” says Sharon Villette, Schools Publisher at OUPSA. “That’s why inclusive content cannot be optional or superficial. It must be intentional.”
So, what does that look like?
Meet Aslam, a Muslim boy from Cape Town who loves everything about flying. Or Viraj, a Hindu boy in a wheelchair who enjoys maths and problem-solving. And Lizzy, a Jewish girl from Bloemfontein who goes everywhere with her dog and a book. These are just some of the characters kids will find in their new textbooks. Characters who look like them, live like them, and dream like them.
It goes beyond that, too. The books reflect all kinds of learners excelling in sport or science, regardless of body shape, ability or background.
On the note of backgrounds, they are also painted differently to reflect diverse family structures and the different scenarios that South African children grow up in. There are grandparents dancing with kids, families from townships and suburbs, single-parent homes and big households full of cousins and grannies. Everyone’s there, side by side, in a way that feels familiar and normal.
“The narratives we publish help shape the fabric of society,” says Villette. “We believe that educational materials must celebrate real diversity, in culture, language, gender, ability and belief, and be designed so every child can access them.”
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And Oxford didn’t stop at pictures and stories.
They’ve made sure the design is easy to use for all kids, no matter their ability or pace of learning. Teachers also get tips on how to bring diversity and inclusion to life in class, so it’s not just a ‘nice idea’ but something that actually happens.
But perhaps the biggest leap forward is Oxford’s new Braille edition of its Aweh! reading series, which has been produced specifically for blind and low-vision learners.
These Braille readers, paired with audio support, are designed to help children build confidence and reading skills through touch and sound. Sets are being donated to Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, addressing a long-standing shortage of beginner Braille readers.
“Adding Braille is a practical example of how we move from inclusive representation to inclusive access,” Villette says. “It’s one more way to ensure no learner is left behind on the literacy journey.”
Kids can finally open books and see proof that they belong, that their stories matter. For blind learners who’ve had very few beginner readers, it’s life-changing too. This is what inclusion should look like!
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